Masked Mediator
Masked Mediator Hit Die: d8 Prerequisites To become a Masked Mediator, you must fulfill the following criteria. *'Alignment:' Any Neutral *'Deity:' Must worship the Masked Fool *'Skills':' '''Bluff 5 ranks, Diplomacy 5 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks *'Special: Must have been initiated by a Mediator. Class Skills The Masked Mediator's class skills are Acrobatics, Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nobility), Knoweldge (Religion), Knowledge (World), Linguistics, Perception, Profession, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand *'Skill Ranks per Level: '''2 + Int modifier. Class Features All of the following are features of the Masked Mediator prestige class. *'Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Masked Mediators gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor. Upon being accepted into the organization, an initiate Masked Mediator is given a mask identical to that worn by the Masked Fool, a minor artifact that facilitates them performing their duties as a Mediator. While wearing the mask, the user's identity is utterly disguised. Their clothes, voice, stature, even minutae such as body language, habits and pheromones are altered to be indistinguishable from the Masked Fool himself. In addition, the mask protects its wearer's mind, making them immune to any extraordinary effect that would reveal their identity (such as scrying, thought reading, or domination effects). The Mediator's weapon is also disguised, appearing to others to be a Fool's Staff. This ability does actually change the physical nature of the weapon, and it becomes immediately apparent that it is not a Fool's Staff if used as a weapon. While not being worn, the mask protects itself with a Subtlety charm, in addition to being almost impossible to destroy on its own. To destroy a Fool's Mask, one must strike it three times with a hammer while chanting the full name of its previous owner. Occasionally, a Mediator is called upon to oversee a Fool's Bargain. When two parties wish to initiate a Fool's Bargain, they perform a ritual that summons a random member of the Mediator organization. When summoned, the Mediator knows innately how important the bargain those parties wishes to make is, and how much favor they will earn for successfully mediating the bargain. The Mediator can then refuse the summons, passing it onto another random Mediator, or accept it, instantly calling their mask to their face (as long as it is in their possession) and teleporting the Mediator to the site of the bargain. The two parties must then state their terms and find an agreement, usually aided by the Mediator in this endeavor. The ritual ends when both parties agree to the bargain, or when both parties find that an agreement cannot be reached. If a successful bargain is conducted, the bargainer's souls are bound by contact to fulfill their ends of the deal. Failure to do so results in the offending party being marked as a target of the Harlequin Agents, spirited away never to be seen again. Depending on the difficulty of the bargain, the importance that it succeeds and other details, successfully mediating a Fool's bargain earns favor and piety for the Mediator. Regardless of the result of the bargain, once the ritual is concluded, the Mediator returns to their position when they answered the summons. (Or the nearest safe space if that area is now occupied somehow.) Although the option exists to refuse a summons for any reason, doing so too often will invoke the ire of the Masked Fool. *For the detailed rules regarding the ritual and its intricacies see Fool's Bargain Ritual. *'Fool's Focus (Ex): '''The Mediator may always treat both ends of a Fool's Staff as a quarterstaff, regardless of what form it is in. *'Hellbroker (Su):' Some Mediators specialize in extraplanar dealings, often being called upon to mediate bargains between fiends and mortals. They gain a bonus equal to half their class level to Intimidate, Diplomacy and Bluff checks made against evil daemons. In addition, whenever the Mediator is called to oversee a bargain involving one or more evil daemons, they are protected by a magical circle against evil. *'Magical Trickster (Ex):' The Mediator gains spells per day as if they had gained two levels in a spellcasting class they belong to. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if they are a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. This secret cannot raise the Mediator's caster abilities to a higher level than their total Hit Dice. This secret can be selected once at level 2 or above, again at level 5 or above, and a third time at level 8 or above. *'Prudent Tongue (Ex): The Mediator is skilled in social interaction, bringing the voice of reason to interpersonal affairs. The Mediator may add their Wisdom modifier to Intimidate, Diplomacy and Bluff skill checks in addition to their Charisma modifier. *'''Staff Trickery (Ex): The Mediator gains Tripping Staff as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. Additionally, trip attempts the Mediator makes with a quarterstaff gain a +2 bonus to their CMB check and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. *'Staff Trickery, Improved (Ex):' The Mediator gains Tripping Twirl as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. If the Mediator has the Fool's Strike deep secret, they may use it on any one trip combat maneuver they make while using this ability. The Mediator must have the Staff Trickery secret to select this deep secret. *'Whispers of Truth (Su):' The Fool's Mask detests lies, and with training, the Mediator can learn to hear its displeasure. While wearing the mask, the Mediator can concentrate on listening to the mask as a free or immediate action, as the spell discern lies. The Mediator can concentrate in this way a number of times per day equal to half their class level + their Wisdom modifier At 4th level, a Masked Mediator may, as an immediate action, don or take off their mask with magical speed, instantly assuming the form of the Fool or their mundane form. The Mediator may also use this ability to call their mask to them from up to 30 feet away, even if someone else in in possession of it. The Mediator may use this ability once per day at 4th level, twice per day at 7th level, and three times per day at 10th level. At 6th, 8th and 9th level, a Masked Mediator can choose one of the following deep secrets in place of a secret. *'Chastising Glare (Sp): '''Whenever the Mediator catches someone in a lie, they may punish the liar by giving them a chilling glare as an immediate action. This is a gaze attack that can cause one of two effects at the Mediator's choice. The first effect is an uneasy feeling of guilt that causes the target to be shaken for one round with no saving throw. The second is a painful backlash, causing the target 3d6 + the Mediator's class level damage. A successful will save halves this damage. (DC 10 + the Mediator's class level + the Mediator's Wisdom modifier.) The Mediator may cause the uneasy feeling of guilt an unlimited number of times per day, and may cause the painful backlash a number of times per day equal 3 + their Wisdom modifier. *'Dispel Lies (Sp): Once per day, as a standard action, the Mediator can attempt to dispel all nearby magical effects that obscure the truth. For every ongoing Illusion spell within 30 ft. of the Mediator, they make a dispel check (1d20 + the Mediator's class level + the Mediator's Wisdom modifier.) If the dispel check exceeds the spell's caster level, the spell immediately ends. If the Mediator is aware of an effect while using the ability, they may choose to exclude it from this ability. *'''Fool's Strike (Su): The Mediator may channel touch spells through a Fool's Staff as they possessed the Magus Spellstrike ability. *'Hellbroker's Rejection (Sp):' Hellbrokers often must deal with evil beings on their home plane, someitmes forcibly ending their negotiations. Once per day, the Mediator may use dismissal as a spell like ability targeting an evil daemon. In addition, every lie the Mediator has caught the target telling in this encounter gives the Mediator a +2 bonus on the caster level check against Spell Resistance and increases the save DC by 4. The Mediator must have the Hellbroker secret to select this deep secret. *'Magical Trickster, Improved (Ex):' The Mediator gains spells per day as if they had gained three levels in a spellcasting class they belong to. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if they are a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. This secret cannot raise the Mediator's caster abilities to a higher level than their total Hit Dice. The Mediator must be level 9 and have selected the Magical Trickster secret three times to select this deep secret. Starting at 10th level a Mediator may use a standard action to call 1d3 human 5th-level fighter, 5th-level Harlequin Agents to their protection outside of a mediation. The Agents, once summoned, remains for the rest of the encounter or until the Mediator dies. The Agents are not compelled to obey the Mediator in any way outside of their immediate protection, but is generally friendly towards them. The Mediator may use this ability once per day. *'''Note: '''Stats for the Agents this ability summons are listed here. A Mediator whose mask is destroyed, or has their identity discovered by any entity who would abuse it is excommunicated from the organization. The Mediator's allies are not usually included in this, but the Mediator must be aware that every person who knows their identity as a Mediator is another risk. They are forbidden from ever wearing another Fool's Mask or mediating a bargain, and are often (but not always) excommunicated from the Fool's service. An Ex-Mediator can no longer gain levels in this prestige class and loses access to any supernatural ability they gained from it. Category:Prestige Classes Category:Divine Classes Category:Skill Classes Category:Combat Classes